Kodiak college graduates face brighter future Crossing the stage with smiles on their faces, 32 graduates accepted certificates or degrees at Kodiak College’s commencement ceremony on Saturday. Six of the graduates were the college’s first recipients of an occupational endorsement certificate in Alutiiq, which certifies the holder has an intermediate knowledge of and conservational speaking skills in the language. Several guest graduates from other colleges i...

Study looks at fishermen’s sleep, healthHow much are fishermen affected by long-term health problems like hearing loss, lack of sleep and high blood pressure? A pilot study aims to find out and researchers are using the 500-plus members of the Copper River salmon driftnet fleet as test subjects. “The Copper River fishing season lasts five months and most of the fleet is very digitally connected, so it seemed a great fit,” said Torie Baker, a Sea Grant ...

Mack’s Sport Shop renamed Big Ray’sMack’s Sport Shop in Kodiak will be re-branded as Big Ray’s as part of a corporate strategy that will also change the business signs of two other stores in Anchorage and two in Fairbanks. Big Ray’s, the Alaskan Outfitter, announced in a news release that the company’s plan to rename stores “will result in a stronger statewide network, allowing every store to provide the best mix of products and the highest levels ...

Why no bus service to Main Elementary?I was wondering why Main Elementary is the only school that has no bus service, except for the special-needs children that start in second grade, which should start in kindergarten. Main Elementary needs school bus services because not having this service is a hardship for parents and students. The problem for the parents is that some of them are single and have no one to take their children to school when they ha...

KDM columnist’s words preserved for posterityI enjoyed the “FDR in Kodiak” article from the Feb. 3 issue, and I sent a copy to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library. I think they liked it! FDR and Jimmy Carter are the only presidents to visit Kodiak, as far as I know. — Mat Freeman (EDITOR’S NOTE: Bob Clark, acting director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York, sent a letter dated April 28 to Mr. Freeman. Part of the letter said, “On behal...

Train your seedlings before transplantationNow that bedding plants have made a colorful splash at local retail centers, the spring gardening race is officially on, though many local gardeners suggest that Old Man Weather needs a talking to. Wait a second! Before you transplant those tender seedlings into your garden, you need a good talking to as well, because many times over the years I’ve witnessed the following chain of events take place: 1. Clouds part...

Decision on two tax ordinances postponed The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly postponed a decision on two ordinances that would have eliminated a $1 per foot tax on boats and changed how mobile homes are taxed. At previous assembly meetings and work sessions, borough staff called the boat tax a nuisance to boat owners and proposed eliminating it. The low tax was originally implemented to keep boat owners from paying a higher tax since the borough already r...

Witch doctor cheaper for Medicaid recipientsIn order to expand Medicaid the legislature wants compromise and to cut cost on the program. A way this can be done is to give the people who would receive expanded Medicaid a witch doctor instead of a medical doctor. A witch doctor is much cheaper than a medical doctor, so the legislature would get what it wants by cutting cost on the expanded Medicaid and the people who want expanded Medicaid would receive it. B...

Kodiak boys blast SewardHOMER — It didn’t take long for Kodiak to take control of its Saturday soccer match against Seward. Omar Beltran broke free on the left sideline in the first minute and zinged the ball into the upper right side of the goal from 20 yards out. He added another goal in the second half to help Kodiak pick up a crucial 4-0 Northern Lights Conference victory over Seward, on the new artificial turf surface at Homer High ...

Seward denies Kodiak girls soccer first winHOMER — Kodiak’s girls soccer nearly made history on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Homer High School. The Bears were minutes away from the program’s first victory when Seward’s Mailley Morianty decided to take over the game, scoring a pair of goals in the final 15 minutes to hand Kodiak a 2-1 Northern Lights Conference defeat. Morianty tied the game in the 65th minute and then kicked in the go-ahead goal nine minu...